Improvement in harvesters



J. H. IRWIN.

Reaper.

No. 29,698. Patented Aug. 21, i860.

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same, taken in the line y y, Fig. l.

' the cutting devices of harvesters, substantially tear of the partsconnected with it, and also gitudinal shaft, E, in the main frame, andwhich {UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. IRWIN, OF BEARDSTOWN, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVES'TERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 29,698, dated August21, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. IRWIN, of Beardstown, in the county of Cassand State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement inGrain and Grass Harvesters; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the annexed drawings, making a part ofthis specification, in which-Figure l is an inverted plan of a harvester with my improvementappliedit. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken in the line .r 00,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the Similar letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to an improvement in as hereinafter shown anddescribed, whereby, it is believed, the sickle is made to work with amore even or regular movement than the ordinary reciprocating ones, withless wear and to cut with a less expenditure of power without being soliable to choke or clog.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the main frame of a harvester; B, the driving-wheel, and Oa toothed bevelwheel placed on its axle. The wheel 0 gears into abevel-pinion, D, which is placed on a lonshaft also has a bevel-wheel,F, on it, the wheel F gearing into a pinion, G, which is placed in avertical shaft, H, in the main frame, said shaft having two cranks, a b,at its lower end, one shaft being at right angles to the other, as shownmore particularly in Fig. 2.

I is the platform-frame, which is attached to the main frame A at oneside, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The front bar, a of platform I is thefin ger-bar.

J are the fingers, which may be constructed of two metal strips, 0, anda central 'strip, 61, connected at their front ends, the strips 0 beingcurved at their front ends, so as to be brought in contact with thestrips d, as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

To each crank a b a sickle, K, is attached.

cutters f attached, which cutters have one edge at right angles withtheir bars, the other edge forming obtuse angles with the same. Theoblique edges of the cutters are their cutting-edges. The outer ends ofthe sickles K are attached to cranks g h, which are placed at rightangles to each other at the lower end ofa shaft, t, at the outer end ofthe platformframe. The cranks g h correspond in position to the cranks ab, and one sickle is fitted and works in the upper compartments ordivisions of the fingers and the other in the lower divisions, as shownclearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The back parts of the fingers are attached tothe bar a. by means of boltsj. The back part of the platform-frame issupported by a caster-wheel, L.

The operation is as follows: As the machine is drawn along the cranks abon shaft H are rotated through the medium of the gearing O D F G. Thesickles K K havea longitudinal or lateral and forward and backwardmovement given them, the cranks g h, to which the outer ends of thesickles K are attached, rotating simultaneously with a b in consequenceof the connection formed between them by the sickles, and insuring theproper working move ment ofthe same. The sickles, in consequence ofbeing attached to reverse cranks, move forward and perform their cuttingstrokes alternately, the sickles cutting while movingin the directionindicated by arrow 1. The sickles, when receding and moving in thedirection indicated by arrow 2, pass underneath the front end of theplatform I, as shown in Fig. 3. As I the sickles operate each toothmoves in the path of a circle, as shown in blue in Fig. 1, the teethcutting while passing around the forward parts of the circles. By thisarrangement the sickles are not liable to choke or clog, their movementbeing unfavorable to such a contingency. The peculiar movement of thesickles also causes them to work evenly and regularly, there being nojarring movement nor concussions, as ,is the case with the ordinaryreciprocating sickles. The sickles require less power to operate themthan the ordinary sickles, and the gearing and driving parts, as well asthe sickles themselves, are not subject to the wear and tear to whichthe ordinary These sickles are formed of a bar 0 havin sickles aresubjected.

The harvester is supplied with the ordinary l K K and the mechanism foroperating them, reel, L, driven from the axle of the drivingarranged inthe manner described, for the purwheel by a suitable belt. pose setforth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The fin gers J ,in combination with the sickles JOHN H. IRWIN.Witnesses:

R. B. FULKs,

THOMAS EYRE.

